The Excitement of the Epiphany

Scripture Reflection for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Sunday, January 6, 2013)

I came across a cute poem this Christmas depicting a 5 year-old girl’s telling of the Christmas story, complete with Mary and Joseph having nothing to eat but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because they were so poor. The poem ends with these words:

Then the baby was borned.
And do you know who he was?

Her quarter eyes inflated
to silver dollars,
The baby was God.

And she jumped in the air
whirled round, dove into the sofa
and buried her head under the cushion

which is the only proper response
to the Good News of the Incarnation.

This weekend on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus, or as our wide-eyed friend in the poem proclaims so simply: “The baby was God!” After this little epiphany of hers, the child seems to not be able to contain her excitement. Her jumping, whirling and diving into the sofa, poet John Shea reminds us, is the only proper response to the incarnation.

There are often little epiphanies in life, times when we realize all over again the goodness of God. Sometimes epiphanies come in the form of generosity from a stranger, a beautiful walk through the snow, the restored health of a loved one, a song that moves us to prayer, or, as it came so long ago, in the birth of a child. God’s revelation is all around us, and this feast gives us an opportunity to rediscover the Good News! How often do we stop to not only reflect on, but to celebrate and respond to these glimpses of the Divine in our everyday lives?

The child’s response to God’s revelation was blissful abandon as only little children can enjoy. The three magi responded by giving gifts fit for the life that this baby would lead: gold for a king, frankincense for a deity, and myrrh for the sacrifice of his death. God bestows on each of us gifts fit for the life that we will lead. We can respond to the Good News by using and sharing these gifts.

In discernment, one of the best pieces of advice I received was to pay attention to holy energy and to follow what made me excited and alive. Though we (unfortunately) will probably not jump, whirl around, dive into the couch and bury our head under the cushion, when we use our gifts as God intended for God’s purposes, we will be filled with the energy and excitement that the Good News deserves.

So in this new year, full of fresh beginnings, I invite you to pay attention to little epiphanies, get excited, and respond generously.

(for the full poem: http://www.1journey.net/stdavids/SW/poetry/sharonsprayer.htm)

Image: iStock